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Penn State by position: A look at the Lions' special teams heading into spring practice

The long journey of Penn State kicker Sam Ficken

Penn State kicker Sam Ficken, shown here converting a field-goal attempt against Syracuse last year, started 2013 strong but faded a bit in the final five games, making just 4 of 8 attempts. Joe Hermitt, PennLive.

Of the three phases that make up the game of football, the kicking game is the one that is often a bit overlooked.

Penn State's first spring practice under James Franklin begins in mid-March and by then (hopefully) the weather will warm, the snow will be gone and it will be time for the new head coach and his assistants to get their first look at the team in pads.

The offense figures to built around sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg and a deep stable of running backs and tight ends.

PSU's defense has depth issues at linebacker and the Lions are in need of a speed infusion in the defensive backfield.

There is a lot of work to be done.

This week, I've been examining the Lions by position as they inch closer to spring drills.

Worth noting: Ficken started 2013 strong but endured a bit of a late-season fade. His total numbers (15-for-23) were just mediocre and he was just 11-for-19 from 30-plus yards. Lewis averaged 22.3 yards per try with a long return of 44. Della Valle was solid as a punt returner, averaging 8.7 yards with a long gain of 31. Walker, a walk-on, saw limited duty as a punt and kick returner. Butterworth averaged less than 40 yards a kick (39.2). The Lions punt coverage team yielded just 3.3 yards per return in 2013. PSU's kickoff coverage allowed two returns for scores in back-to-back games against Purdue and Nebraska.

The Bottom Line: It is difficult to assess where the PSU special teams stand because new coach James Franklin and his special teams coordinator, Charles Huff, likely have different philosophies than former coach Bill O'Brien, who didn't believe in special teams coordinators. There are no guarantees that Lewis or Della Valle will remain the primary kick returner and punt returner, respectively. Even Ficken may face some competition as Franklin added a few walk-on kickers, including Lower Dauphin's Joe Julius. The Lions don't have a scholarship punter on the roster. So in sum for 2013, erratic performances by the specialists, little juice from the returners and the kickoff coverage unit gave up two long ones. Yep, it will be a busy spring (and summer) for Huff and Franklin.